A police strike in Rio de Janeiro ended Monday just days before the city explodes in chaos for the world’s biggest Carnival bash.
The decision came just two days after a similar strike ended in the northeastern state of Bahia, which saw the homicide rate double in its capital, Salvador, during the stoppage.
The strikes, and the threat of similar action in other Brazilian states, had stoked concerns about Brazil’s security forces ahead of its hosting of the 2014 soccer World Cup and Rio’s hosting the 2016 Olympics.
The strike, however, never affected security in the city, the number of officers who adhered to it appeared relatively small and authorities never had to call on army soldiers to patrol streets, as was feared.
Carnival starts officially this Friday, but massive street parties that can draw up to 2 million people to the streets have already kicked off and were carried out with no special security problems. Rio’s Carnival pumps more than $500 million into the city’s economy annually.
